Righting housing in the Barrio

Chance for residents to retake Barrio

It appears, at least on the surface, that San Diego’s mayoral runoff is a classic majority vs. minority, conservative vs. liberal faceoff. But there is a broad spectrum of support for both candidates — and there are issues that cut both ways.

One example is the Barrio Logan Community Plan, which emphasizes residential zoning for low-income homes. The City Council approved the plan. An alternative plan, financed mostly by big business and huge organizations, is being circulated.

I think it’s an insult to the barrio and surrounding communities. I have seen this movie before.

When I enrolled at SDSU in 1969, after the Army, I met Rico Bueno, a fellow veteran and Logan Heights community activist.

We started to look how the junk yards, warehouses and canneries had taken over the heart of this community. A lot of families were displaced, literally divided when Interstate 5 cut across in the heart of the community. This happened again when the road to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge was built.

It is about time that neighborhoods take their communities back.

It should be about the people who live in the neighborhood, not the businesses that come and go. There is a difference between a human being and being human.

Cesar Lopez

Chula Vista

Other issues to study with orcas

So now it appears that Point Loma High School has entered the political arena using social media (“Teens lauded for short video about SeaWorld’s orcas,” Nov. 21).

More kids have died or been seriously injured in high school football than in the history of SeaWorld animal trainers. Should we stop high school football and free all the players, coaches and administrators?

It is unfortunate that many young folks are influenced by special interest groups, biased media and teachers who lack knowledge in specific areas, but who have their personal opinions and the forum to share them with their students.

Have any of the students in this video read the peer-reviewed scientific literature of the contributions that SeaWorld has made to our understanding and protection of marine mammals and other ocean life?

One should look at issues from all sides and do their due diligence before making public statements.

Jim Antrim

Pacific Beach

Gov’t should step in over condo boards

When condo boards abuse their powers or ignore their legal obligations, it is very difficult for a homeowner to take the board to court and enforce the law. It’s time to correct this problem.

Government encouraged condo construction and has an obligation to protect the rights of homeowners. Government also has a financial stake, as when property values decline, so do property tax revenues. Many condos are declining in value due to neglect.

We need local agencies with the authority to oversee general condominium board operations and make sure condo boards obey by the law, as well as their own codes, covenants and restrictions.

Tom Heffernan

San Carlos

Focus on mental health to stop killings

Regarding, “Motive will remain a mystery” (Nov. 26), there is no mystery about the motive for the Sandy Hook killings. They were caused by a man with an untreated mental illness, most likely schizophrenia, who must be numbered with the other victims in this tragedy.

The symptoms were there for anyone who cared to look, symptoms which have described most of the recent mass murderers. He was a recluse and highly intelligent. He was heard by a neighbor talking out loud as he rode a bicycle down a street, and may have been fearful that his mother was going to put him in an institution. A person with schizophrenia has distorted and paranoid thoughts, such as thinking the CIA is trying to kill him, which cannot be rationalized into a logical motive that the rest of us can understand.

Until our country gets serious about changing the broken mental health system to focus on the most seriously mentally ill, these incidents will continue to occur.

Glenda de Vaney

Chula Vista

Advice for minimum-wage workers

In response to the letter writer who seems to think that the minimum wage is too low, her argument is that many minimum-wage workers are young people with children who find living in San Diego too expensive.

I have two pieces of advice. First, Don’t have children until you can afford to raise them. Second, if San Diego is to expensive, move to a place with better opportunities and a lower cost of living until you have the skills or education to get a job that will allow you to move back to San Diego.

Ron Guerrero

San Diego

Water rate hike seems like tax increase

Regarding, “Council OKs water rate hike (Nov. 22), the city was facing an across-the-board 7.25 percent increase in water rates from the San Diego County Water Authority.

It could have applied this 7.25 evenly across an already progressive rate structure. Instead, our City Council chose to invent a new, radically steep rate structure where homeowners will face 30 percent to 80 percent increases in rates.

This means that single family homeowners, especially those in the drier and hotter areas of Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, etc., will now subsidize the water rates of millionaires in cooler and moister La Jolla, and the condo-dwellers in downtown millionaire’s row.

Except Scott Sherman, Republicans voted with the Democrats to redistribute the wealth via this property tax disguised as a water rate increase. The California Appeals Court has already ruled this illegal in Palmdale v. PWD. Get ready for a massive lawsuit against the city.